Burgum, Sanford, tour Watford City tornado damage

BISMARCK, N.D. (July 11, 2018) – Gov. Doug Burgum, Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford and Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard, surveyed tornado damage in Watford City on Tuesday evening and met with local officials and residents displaced by the storm to discuss local response efforts and needs.

“First and foremost, we offer our deepest condolences to the parents of the 1-week-old boy who died from injuries sustained in the tornado. Our hearts go out to their family and friends and all of those injured and displaced by the storm,” Burgum said. “We’re extremely grateful to the dozens of agencies and hundreds of first responders, law enforcement officers, medical staff, volunteers and other community members who have come to the aid of their neighbors in need. As cleanup and recovery efforts get under way, the state stands ready to deploy assistance wherever it’s needed.”

The McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office reported 28 people were treated for injuries after the tornado struck the Prairie View RV Park, with nine critically injured and at least three people transported by air ambulance. Officials estimate as many as 200 people were displaced.

Sanford, a Watford City native who was mayor of the city from 2010 to 2016, and Dohrmann, who oversees the state Department of Emergency Services that has been coordinating tornado response with local officials and the American Red Cross, joined the governor in touring the devastation at the tornado site, where RVs, mobile homes and outbuildings were tossed, flattened and reduced to rubble. A preliminary assessment found 122 structures destroyed, 79 structures with moderate to severe damage and 120 with minor damage.

The governor and lieutenant governor also visited the shelter coordinated by the American Red Cross at the Watford City Civic Center, where more than 50 displaced adults and children planned to spend the night, and met with local officials at the McKenzie County Courthouse to discuss next steps in the recovery process and lessons that could be learned from the storm.

A section on the Watford City tornado has been added to www.ndresponse.gov, the state’s website for accurate and timely information when major events impact citizens. In addition to aerial video of the tornado damage, the site will contain tornado-related news updates and safety information for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

A relief fund for tornado victims has been set up at Cornerstone Bank in Watford City. Volunteers wanting to help with clean-up and recovery are asked to report to the Subway at 105 9th Ave. S.E., while volunteers with heavy equipment, light towers or other equipment are asked to check in at the Eagles at 1904 Main St. S.

Previously…

BISMARCK, N.D. (July 10, 2018) – Gov. Doug Burgum traveled to Watford City Tuesday afternoon to survey an RV park devastated by a tornado just after midnight Tuesday and to meet with local response officials and residents displaced by the storm.

The McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office reported 28 people were treated for injuries after the tornado struck the Prairie View RV Park, with at least three people transported by air ambulance. Officials estimate more than 150 people were displaced by the storm.

Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford, a Watford City native who was mayor of the city from 2010 to 2016, arrived there just before noon and has been surveying the damage and meeting with local officials and displaced residents.

“The extent of the damage here is devastating and mindboggling, with RVs utterly flattened and destroyed. Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and displaced by this tornado,” Sanford said. “Fortunately, the community of Watford City is doing an amazing job offering assistance, providing food and water and finding shelter for those displaced. It will take a massive effort to clean up and recover from this tornado, and the state stands ready to help any way we can.”

The North Dakota Department of Human Services is working with Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters and other partner agencies to support McKenzie County emergency management as they work to meet the food and shelter needs of affected individuals. The state Department of Emergency Services also is monitoring the situation and coordinating response efforts with the American Red Cross and local officials. The North Dakota Highway Patrol was part of the initial response, and the Department of Health has been in contact with the local public health unit and hospital.